What is Tube and Roll Storage?

Those who do a lot of drafting, such as architects and engineers, go through large quantities of paper every day. As a result, they need a reliable way to store the products of their creative efforts. One convenient way to do this is through the use of Tube and Roll Storage.

As the name would suggest, Tube and Roll Storage is a system wherein papers are rolled into cylinders and inserted into protective tubes. This type of storage is suitable for many different sizes of paper, especially large papers such as those containing blueprints or drawings. If multiple tubes are being used, clip tag labels can be affixed to their ends in order to ensure easy identification of the contents.

There are a variety of tubes available to suit one’s preferences. Aside from size and color options, some containers are adjustable as well. Telescoping document tubes can expand in length, so they can accommodate a large variety of paper sizes, while other tubes are segmented, allowing the internal volume to be changed by fixed amounts.

The tubes themselves are easy to store. Though they can be stacked in any convenient receptacle, there are also containers that are specially made for them. Box filing cabinets and vertical rack storage are two popular ways of keeping tubes organized.

This type of storage comes with several advantages. Tubes not only provide a hard casing that screens documents from damage, but their cylindrical shape also preserves a paper’s contents. Since papers are not folded at any time during storage, they don’t develop any destructive creases.

Finally, document tubes are efficient in both their use of space and their impact on one’s wallet. Their compact form enables portability and, averaging out at less than $20 apiece, tubes are a relatively inexpensive way to protect and store precious papers.